


starry eyed

by lonelyheartsclub_com



Category: Murder Most Unladylike Series - Robin Stevens
Genre: Gen, Period Typical Bigotry, Period-Typical Racism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 18:48:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28711500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lonelyheartsclub_com/pseuds/lonelyheartsclub_com
Relationships: Alfred Cheng & Hazel Wong
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	starry eyed

Alfred didn’t hate Hazel. She was kind enough, and she convinced her friends that Alfred was innocent, which could’ve been the difference between life and death. But when it all came down to it, Hazel did not like him at all. She glared at him, and whenever he made a joke she frowned. 

When he saw what the students down at Maudlin were doing to her and Harold’s younger brother George, he wanted to scream. They were throwing rocks at them, calling them names and taunting them. George had his arms around Hazel and she was cowering. She looked up, and Alfred could see the gash that extended across her nose.

Alfred grabbed the student’s hand before they could throw another rock at poor Hazel and George. “If you dare, I’ll get done for punching you.”

They swallowed and put the rock down. Hazel was sobbing hard, and on further inspection, he could see George was crying too. They were just kids. They didn’t deserve to know that all these people didn’t like them just because of the color of their skin, or the slant of their eyes. 

Harold came running down, and he immediately started fussing over his brother. Alfred stood there awkwardly, not quite knowing what to say. How did you comfort someone that had just been hate crimed? 

“Wong Fung Ying, I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner-” she ran off, back up to St. Lucy’s. Alfred watched her go, and he immediately felt bad. George frowned.

“Daisy’ll help her.”

“Daisy and Alexander are out with Bertie and Amanda, remember?” Harold asked, still keeping an eye on his brother. George cussed. 

Alfred swallowed, and he started walking up to St. Lucy’s. He managed to slip past the wards, and knocked on Henry’s door, since it was where Hazel was staying. Instead, he heard someone talking. 

_ “Alexander will never like you now, Hazel. Look at you! You’re ugly enough anyways, but the scar that gash will leave…” _

She was talking to herself, and Alfred understood immediately what she was going through. 

_ “I don’t want to be you anymore, Hazel Wong.” _

She had a thing for Alexander, who was totally in love with someone else. Alfred knocked on the door again, and whispered, ”Wong Fung Ying, please open up.”

She opened the door, and Alfred saw the gash upon her nose was scarred and there was blood all over her cheeks from other cuts. He felt horrible for her. He knew how it felt to be insecure and trapped, and she seemed like she compared herself to others. 

“Oh, Wong Fung Ying…” he muttered. She scowled. 

“It’s Hazel! Stop calling me that, don’t you understand why they treat me this way?” Alfred looked down at the floor. 

“Of course I do, Hazel. You’re not the only Chinese person here. If I dare say it, they treated me worse here!”

She flinched. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologise. Just let me in. I want to talk to you.”

She sat down, and he sat down in the chair next to her. She was looking at her hands.

“Why do you dislike me so much?”

“Because you’re rude. You go out of your way to be rude. You tried your hardest to show that you were happy Chummy and Donald were murdered, and you expected us not to suspect you.”

“Hazel.” Alfred started. “Do you know what Chummy and Donald would say to me? What they would call me?”

She looked up. 

“What those kids down there were calling you and George. I walked into Maudlin on my first day, and Chummy screamed a slur in my face and Donald laughed with him. Bertie and I met because I watched him defend me.”

Hazel was silent. 

“That doesn’t explain why you’re so rude-”

“I’m rude because it’s the only way people will leave me alone, Wong Fung Ying. If I’m rude, they won’t want to be near me and they’ll refrain from calling me slurs. That’s why,”

Hazel started crying again, and Alfred wanted nothing more than to tell her she was worth it, that she didn’t deserve the insecurity. 

“Wong Fung Ying?”

“Yes, Alfred?”

“I heard you talking to yourself. What you were saying wasn’t true at all. You’re beautiful, and whether or not Alexander sees that is his own damn loss. The scar that gash will leave will be a reminder that you’re stronger than people give you credit for. And you said you don’t want to be yourself anymore, yes?”

She nodded, and Alfred could see how vulnerable she was. No one had ever complimented her on her looks. It was always her personality, and he could tell that she had realised. 

“Well, you’re one of the best people I’ve ever met. Bertie likes you. Harold does, too. Amanda says you and Daisy are a bit bothersome but apart from that, you’re both brilliant. So many people enjoy being around you, Hazel. You’re bright, and you’re funny, and you’re pretty, too. You’re an excellent person.”

Hazel looked Alfred in the eye. Her lip quivered, and she let a single tear fall. She said nothing, but it looked like she was in denial.

“Thank you, Alfred.” 

He shrugs. “Think nothing of it, Wong Fung Ying.” 

She sobbed into her hands, and Alfred walked over to her and kneeled down. “Would you like a hug?”

She looked him in the eye for a second and then nodded. She fell into his arms, and Alfred realised how much he duly missed the feeling of making someone feel better. He was comforting her in Cantonese, whispering comforting things and letting her cry it out. 

“Maybe I do like you, Alfred.” she said, mocking him a little.

“Maybe? After the top notch comforting I just did, I better be like your older brother now. But really, Wong Fung Ying, don’t let your self worth be measured by how much the white people like you. My self worth would be extremely low if that were the case, but-”

“Alfred. Thank you. Truly, no one’s ever…”

“Told you that you were pretty? They always compliment you on your personality, don’t they? It’s a nice sentiment, but it still makes you feel ugly.”

She nodded. 

Alfred extended his arms out again. “Another hug?” She nodded, and he picked her up and spun her around. She laughed, and suddenly, they were kids back in Hong Kong, it was the hot summer of 1929, and Alfred was showing off a new trick he’d learned with Hazel as his volunteer to perform the trick with.

When Alfred left the room, he was stopped by Hazel. 

“And, Alfred?” she called.

“Yes, Wong Fung Ying?” he turned to face her.

“You are like my older brother now.” she said, and she grinned.

He was surprised when he felt tears leaking out his eyes as he walked out of St. Lucy’s.


End file.
